>> For those holding out for Christian Dior's Fall 2009 campaign — since most other major brands have revealed their seasonal ads at this point — you're setting yourself up for a big disappointment. The brand — which posted a loss in profits last week — decided to forego a traditional ad campaign this season because Dior CEO Sidney Toledano found the formula "wanting," according to WWD.

Instead, the advertising budget — an undisclosed number — was poured into a new set of the Lady Dior handbag campaign featuring Marion Cotillard. The original set, photographed by Peter Lindbergh, started running last November and a new set with Cotillard as "Lady Red," snapped by Annie Leibovitz, has been appearing in magazines starting since the August issues (above). A sequel to Cotillard's short film for the brand, which hit the Internet in May, is planned for December.

Toledano seemed satisfied in May with the brand's move toward using more star power and away from seasonal campaigns that typically feature models: “Now we have to give more meaning. People are looking for iconic products and they want to see a product representing the values of a company.”

Just embarrassing. Hire a promising new photographer. Go for the younger crowd, give them a chance....jeez. Why does it have to be huge budget to be impressive....they seem to have lost all sense.

And what does this do to their prospects of wanting to keep Galliano, or being able to keep him? Somehow this seems pretty monumental in fashion advertising....Anyone ever heard of something like this???

I'm not that shocked of hearing this, after not seeing anything up until the middle of August.
They should have kept the Lady Dior ads to one city, and scrap the films. Then do a mainline campaign in a studio with some good models and a great photographer.